'Difficult decisions and changes' required at Okanagan College as enrolment falls, says president

Photo: Colin Dacre

Falling enrolment at Okanagan College means cutbacks at the institution.

Thirty-five OC employees in the Arts and Foundational programs and the School of Business are being warned this week that their positions are at risk of being eliminated, said college president Neil Fassina.

“It is important to understand that it is not a layoff notification. There is no immediate impact or change to the notified employees’ positions at OC,” said Fassina in a post to the college’s website.

“This step allows the college to work with employees and our unions as we explore additional ways to mitigate layoffs. It is part of our commitment to transparency and working in collaboration as we navigate our current environment.”

Okanagan College, like post-secondary institutions across Canada, is struggling with rapidly falling international student enrolment as global trends change and the the federal government tightens immigration policy.

While the school has touted stable domestic enrolment, late last year OC's faculty association said the college was in an "unprecedented enrolment crisis" and announced faculty was bracing for job losses.

“When our enrolment goes up and it is possible to add capacity, we expand by hiring team members and creating new sections or cohorts,” Fassina said Monday. “Unfortunately, when enrolment decreases, we must be ready to take steps to reduce our workforce accordingly.”

Fassina said the school is working to reduce potential layoffs by offering early retirement incentives, job sharing and not filling existing vacancies.

He told students there will be no changes to classes this semester and “no changes that impact your ability to complete your program.”

“We know the coming months will be difficult as our summer and fall enrolment picture becomes more clear and we understand the full extent of its impact. At the same time, we have already pivoted and added new student recruitment strategies, both domestically and abroad.”

He said the school is also reviewing its program mix and seeking new opportunities to offer local students that align with labour market needs.

“There is no question that what we are going through together now is challenging and has real impacts on our college,” Fassina said. “It requires us to make difficult decisions and changes, and at the same time, we have strong support throughout the region from other educational partners, local governments, businesses and organizations who consider OC important to the communities we serve.”

UBC Okanagan is dealing with similar pressures and is also making modest cuts.

The 2025 budgets for both institutions will be made public this spring, bringing the extent of any required cuts into focus.